'When you are dropped from the team you love and stripped of captaincy without a reason, it hurts': Warner on SRH snub
Two months after being dropped from Sunrisers Hyderabad's Playing XI, David Warner has broken his silence on the events that unfolded.
Two months after being dropped from Sunrisers Hyderabad's Playing XI, David Warner has broken his silence on the events that unfolded. SRH had a woeful campaign in IPL 2021, winning only three matches and finishing at the bottom of the points-table. With SRH enduring a forgettable campaign, Warner felt most of the brunt.
In the first-half of IPL 2021, Warner was sacked as SRH captain, with Kane Williamson replacing him, and even once the second half commenced, Warner featured in only two games before being dropped from the XI. With Warner finding back his form in the T20 World Cup where he was awarded the Player of the Tournament for scoring 289 runs, the Australia opener revealed he was hurting after his treatment at SRH.
"When you are dropped from the team you have loved the most for years without any real fault of yours and stripped of captaincy without being given a reason, it hurts. At the same time there are no complaints. The fans in India have always been there for me and it is for them that you play. We play to entertain. We play to push for excellence," Warner told The Economic Times.
SRH assistant coach and former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin revealed the reason behind Warner getting dropped, saying it had nothing to do with the batter not being in form. However, Warner's training and lack of match practice was a concern, even though the Australia opener explained he never gave anything less than100 percent.
"Whatever may have been the reason for me not finding a spot in an IPL team, I can tell you I was training the hardest I ever did. I didn’t not miss a single day. I was batting extremely well in the nets and it was only a matter of time before it all started to work out. So yes, while it hurt, I knew I will have another opportunity," Warner added.
In another interaction, Warner revealed that he was not once given any sort of explanation as to why he was removed as SRH skipper. This was after Warner had led the franchise to its maiden IPL title in 2016 and became a three-time Orange Cap winner with them. After Virat Kohli's tally of 973 runs, which is the most by a player in a single edition of the IPL, Warner's 848 in 2016 comes next.
"The other disappointing thing for me was not being explained why I was dropped as captain. If you want to go along the lines of form, it is a difficult one because, I guess whatever you have done in the past would have some weight moving forward, you would think. Especially when you have played about 100 games for the franchise, I think I had four bad games in those first five matches in Chennai," Warner told India Today.
